Tracking

Friday, May 29, 2009

Hanging out at the women's college world series tonight. Perfect weather and a great crowd. Pulling for Washington and Florida tonight. Physical therapy and lots of softball watching is the plan this weekend. Hopefully all goes well and I can start running after my trip to Mexico. 2 weeks and counting!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Congrats on finishing your first triathlon! I was following along all morning wishing I was there to cheer you on. I am so proud of you and hopefully one day I can become a fish and race with you. Marathon first!

I think long holiday weekends may be just about the best thing in adult work life. Well, ok. The week vacations are even better, but it seems like three-day weekends are just about right for rejuvenating the soul. I feel so much better rested and ready for the week ahead. I think CEOs should take note out there in corporate america. A happy worker is a productive worker. Who said there is anything wrong with a 4-day workweek??

Nothing much of note this weekend other than the incessant need to run and the inability to do so at this point. I went out to Lake Hefner today to read and enjoy the nice weather and I was busting at the seams to lace up the shoes and start running. It probably doesn't help that my current reading choice is "Marathon : The Ultimate Training Guide." It makes me even more motivated and ready to start the journey. Physical therapy starts tomorrow. I hope it works and I hope it works well. I want to be back on my feet soon. I am giving myself until the middle of June to heal. I know I will have to pretty much start from square one on running, but I am hoping the PT says I can do other cardio work such as elliptical and the bicycle to keep some of my cardiovascular strength intact. In the meantime, I have just been lifting weights and eating too much. I also have been sticking to the rest, ice, and compression routine while I am at home. Hopefully my discipline will pay off with a shorter recovery time.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Today was doctor day. It went about as well as I could have hoped. I got some x-rays of the hip and then did some stretching exercises with the doc. No fractures so that was awesome news. He then gave me the option to try and wait it out and come see him in 4 weeks or try to do some physical therapy and heal it up quicker and get back on my feet. I chose PT so I can kick this thing in the ass and get back to running. The sooner, the better for me. That's about the only time you will hear me say that sooner is better. Ha, get it?! I will now have to revise my training schedule to a 24 week schedule probably. I think that will still let me train the way I want to and get to the marathon healthy. Signing off for now. I hope to get some rest and continue reading my book. Have a happy and safe Memorial day weekend. Good luck to Christina in the Austin Triathlon! I can't wait for a race update.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

I tried to run today and it hurt.....doctor appointment will be made in the morning :-(

Hopefully it's nothing serious and I can resume training soon. Good thing I still have 6 months until the marathon. I won't have to start the real big-time training until August. I would like to get some mileage built up before that happens though.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Monday. The first day of the week and often times the hardest. It seems like you always wake up a little more tired than you want to be and everything just seems a little bit harder. Well, that is how my Monday was today. I guess if I had actually gotten some rest this weekend, it would have been better. I didn't really do anything of note, but i did stay out too late and drink a little too much. I think I am just getting it out of my system before my training starts. My habits will have to change for the better as time progresses and the miles get tacked on.

Now it's decision time. I have become concerned about my hip and need to decide whether to take another week off and try to run next week, or test it out tomorrow and if it hurts go to the doctor. I really want to avoid any injury that would hamper training, but I really, really want to get out and run. I did play tennis tonight and my leg actually felt pretty good. I think can rule out a stress fracture. I think it is more than likely some sort of inflammation on the ball of my hip. I really only felt a twinge of pain after I had stepped and took the weight off my leg. It seems odd that it happens after I take the weight off, but at least it is getting better. I may run a bit tomorrow and test it out. After all, I am ready to get on the road to the marathon.

That's all for now. Time to start focusing on reading my new book "The Ultimate Guide to Marathon Training". I am definitely looking forward to the upcoming weekend. Three days off will be a welcome change. Hopefully my next blog is filled with a great big write-up of my return to running!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

I have gotten some inspiration for a training blog from reading several sites across the world wide web and I believe I will start one myself. It is a great way to track progress, stay motivated, and to be held accountable. I want to be able to easily access my personal running records and be able to share them with those who are interested. I will start my training blog next week when I begin the 6-month training schedule for my first marathon. For the past 2 weeks, I have ran here and there, and have started lifting weights again. I have also started a core exercise regimen at my house. I figured I could get a lot accomplished while I was watching television instead of just internet surfing. My plan is to keep the weights and core exercises in my schedule until I reach the later stages of my marathon training. I think somewhere around mid-September, early October I will have to tone down some of the weights and core just so I have time to do other things besides run. After all, it will be football season!

Another purpose of tonight's blog : I wanted to rank my favorite shows from the Fall08-Spring09 television schedule. Here you go:

Brothers and Sisters - my favorite show at this time.

Private Practice - best season finale to date.

Friday Night Lights - a hidden gem of a show. I still have a few episodes left this season, but I will watch them soon.

The Office - still my favorite comedy

30 Rock - this runs a close 2nd to Office

The Amazing Race - best reality show and one I would love to be on in the future

Grey's Anatomy - still solid, but other shows have definitely surpassed it in my book

Survivor - still running strong and still entertaining

American Idol - surprisingly became hooked this year. Kris and Allison were my favorites

Parks and Recreation - good new comedy, hope it lasts

Desperate Housewives - it is still entertaining, although losing some luster

Real World/Road Rules Challenge - my guilty pleasure

DVR has definitely opened up the possibility of more tv viewing in my household. I tend to DVR and watch an episode here and there when I have time. Most of my viewing usually comes late Friday and Saturday night after going out or early Sunday morning when I just don't want to venture out just yet. That will all change with training though. My runs will become more frequent and my tv time will dwindle. It will be a welcome change.

I am looking forward to the weekend. I really don't have a ton planned and am looking forward to saving some money and relaxing. I think I may catch a movie or two and try to catch up on my household chores. Who knows? If it's nice I may even make an appearance at the CHK Boathouse Triathlon to see the real athletes compete. It would provide me with some great motivation to start my training next week. Until then, I think I will enjoy the open week and plan for the months ahead.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

So, today was Mother's Day and I must admit, I wasn't a very good son. Sure, I called and talked to Mom, but I didn't go visit. I just needed a day for me. The last 2 weekends have been pretty non-stop with the half marathon, wedding showers, weddings, and just general weekend activities. I wanted a day to decompress. I have found that often when I do this, I end up with ideas and become more productive in my daily life. Today was a success in that aspect. I managed to get all my laundry done, sleep in a bit, get some essentials from Target, and have made out a new stretching/strength exercise routine to improve my running. I think it will also help tone and firm some areas that haven't seen a lot of love lately. My goal is to trim down by about 10 pounds before I hit the marathon in December. I am at a pretty decent weight at the moment, but I think with a little less poundage, I could definitely improve my time and put less strain on my body.

Saturday started off with a bang, literally. I ran the OKC Clean Air Challenge 5K out at the OKC Zoo amid lightning strikes and a brief downpour. The rain actually felt good, but I could have done without the lightning. My time was pretty decent. I ran my 5K in 23 minutes and 08 seconds so a little improvement from my RedBud time. The course was pretty hilly, so all in all I was pretty happy with my race. On a flat course, I think I could have pushed a 21 minute time but we will have to try that another day. For the time being, I have decided to take this week off from running, except for a maybe a light 2 or 3 miles during the middle of the week. My hip is still hurting and I want to make sure I hit marathon training in top form.

This is kind of a random post. I am pretty much just typing whatever comes to mind. It's kind of the way my mind has been today. A lot of different thoughts jumping through my head. I am having one of those days. A day when I wonder what's waiting just around the corner. I have a lot of plans, but I just have that feeling that something is going to change. Not necessarily with me, but with something/someone in my life. You know sometimes you just feel it. I hope it's a good change.

That thought leads me down another path. I found a song I really like. It's by Pink and it's titled "Crystal Ball". I am a sucker for ballads. I am a sucker for songs that make you search inside. They make you examine your own life and think about things we are sometimes scared to contemplate. Give it a listen if you get a chance.http://myplay.com/audio_player/pink/211/388228/388233?allowBrowsing=1

I think it's time to log off for now. I need to finish up a few things before hitting the bed. Tomorrow should be a crazy day. I better wake up alert and in a good mood because I will have to hit the ground running fast and furious. You have to love trading sometimes. A 3-day weekend is on the horizon though. Happy Mother's Day. Love you Mom.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

This weekend was my trip to Ponca City for Kari's wedding. She and I met during the first week of college at OSU and have been friends ever since. It was really nice to be able to be a part of the celebration and get to hang out with Chris and Shannon. Ponca City is actually not a bad little town. I had a good time hanging out at the Rocking Horse on Friday night and watching the great social experiment of a small-town bar serving $7 drown night. It was a very entertaining mix of people and I had many good laughs watching people have dance-offs and acting ridiculous. I was sober so everything seemed even that more strange as you can imagine. Something about this new running regimen has really dampened my desire to drink and eat badly. It's not a bad thing. It's just kinda odd. I have a feeling that will all end soon as we embark on the summer adventures, but it was a nice break for my body :-)

Chris and Kari have been with me since day 1 of my college experience and to see how each person has grown and developed has been a true blessing. Both have met great companions and each have their lives headed in the right direction. I am very proud to call them my friends and I look forward to seeing their families grow. It seems like just a short time ago we were moonlighting it at Lake Carl Blackwell trying to decide what to do next and now we are here. In our lives as adults and still great friends. In a perfect world, we would all live in the same city, or heck, even the same state. For now, we will have to cherish those few days a year we actually get to see each other. I look forward to spending a summer weekend in Wichita with Kari and Scott and sharing my first marathon experience with Chris and Shannon in Dallas. Until then, my best wishes go out to them both. Here are a few pics from this weekend. We are all grown up.

About Me

Oklahoma State alum working, living, and playing in Oklahoma City. I started running in Feb 2009 and look forward to many years ahead. Slowly becoming an endurance sports junkie.
My motto : Dream big. Work hard. Make it happen.